Page 66 of Her Brother's Keeper

Maren pressed her lips together and nodded, “Could you ask Dr. Greene to bring me my mother’s file?” she asked.

I nodded and slipped out into the hall to fulfill her request. It was smart. She could tell Sage, but he’d probably have a tough time believing whatever came out of her mouth now that he knew she and her dad had been lying for so long about how sick their mom was. Reading it in black and white though? A lot harder to refute.

I waited in the hall with the good doctor while Maren broke it to her brother. I didn’t need to be in there for that. No telling if Sage would resent my presence or not. It gutted me leaving it all to Maren though. It was something that I solemnly vowed I would find a way to make it up to her, but this went way beyond flowers or her favorite ice cream.

When the office door opened, both of their faces were tear stained, eyes puffy and red from crying. Maren was just behind Sage, her hands on his shoulders like she was afraid he was gonna bolt or something. She addressed the good doctor, first.

“Thank you for calling me, and I am so very sorry for any inconvenience that was caused,” she told him and gave Sage a little shake back and forth by his shoulders.

“Sorry,” Sage muttered in the doctor’s direction.

“I understand,” Dr. Greene said, and went a touch further by saying, “If I may?” Maren nodded her consent to whatever unsolicited piece of advice Dr. Greene was about to impart on us all. “I know an excellent child therapist, perhaps a visit or two is in order for Sage here. Someone to talk to who is impartial to all of the things going on in your lives?”

Maren nodded, “I think I would like his number,” she murmured and Sage made a sound like he was going to protest, a sound that was quickly quelled by the withering look I gave him. He shut up, Dr. Greene chuckled and pulled a business card and pen from the pocket of his slacks that were too brown to exactly be called gray.

“She’s a she, but she’s very good. Her name is Michelle Greene, and she’s my wife.” Maren smiled and took the card that the doctor hastily scribbled on with a quiet thank you. “My pleasure,” Dr. Greene said, and led us back through the labyrinth of locking doors to the hospital lobby.

“Wait, you aren’t even going to try and see her?” Sage asked outraged and Maren’s fingers tightened.

“I don’t want to, Sage.”

“But she’s our mom!” he cried, outraged.

“Doesn’t matter, buddy,” I said, coming to the rescue, finally able to drop some wisdom into the mix. “If I had a choice of seeing my mom, I wouldn’t either. Some things you don’t come back from. What your mom did, that’s one of ‘em.”

“I don’t get it,” Sage said.

“I love you more than I could ever love a mother who tried to drown her own child, Sage. She tried to kill you, and I know you don’t get it, I know it doesn’t make sense, but I wasthere.You were too young to remember… I wish I could be so lucky.” Maren said, fresh tears tracking down her face.

Sage peered up at her from over his shoulder and I said gently, “This is one of those things youhaveto let go, kiddo. Even if you don’t want to. Pretty sure you’ve done enough damage for one day. It’s time to go home.”

“Don’t think there won’t be any consequences for this stunt, either,” Maren said and I was proud of her for sticking to her guns. “We’ll talk about it in the car, which you and Nox need to get into…now.” She said sharply when it looked like Sage was about to protest again.

“Thanks, Doc,” I said with a quick salute, and put a hand on Sage’s shoulder, leading him to the car while Maren stayed behind to talk to the doctor for a minute longer. Knowing her, to apologize some more.

Sage tried to jerk his shoulder out of my grip which only caused me to tighten it. I was a massage therapist, I knew the pressure points and was pretty unmatched when it came to my grip. Sage found that out when I just kept on marching him like a prisoner over the frozen lot to my cage. I opened the back door, and ducked his head in, to make sure he didn’t hit it.

“I can take care of myself!” he barked.

“Yeah, I call bullshit,” I said and shut the door on his retort.

Maren shook the doctor’s hand and came towards us, I hugged her briefly and walked her to her side of the cage and opened her door for her. She didn’t waste any time, “You aresogrounded,” she said. “In fact, you are grounded harder than you haveeverbeen grounded in your life,” she grated as I closed the door for her.

I went around and got in on my side to Sage’s indignant shriek, “But that’s notfair!”

“Woah!” I cried, “You want to talk aboutfair, after the shit you pulled today? Okay,” I nodded, starting the cage. “Let’s talk about fair for a minute. Do you think it was fair for Maren to get a phone call from Dr. Greene right before she went into her job interview telling her not only did her little brother leave school without telling anyone, he made a dangerous trek all the way hereunsupervisedwhere anything could have happened? Hell, a pedophile could have gotten you!”

Sage scoffed, “Oh please, a pedophile? That’s the best you can come up with?”

I tightened my hands on the wheel and backed carefully out of the space, “Okay, forget your sister and how fair it was for her to panic and worry, how about Dr. Greene? How fair was it to stop everything he was doing so he could babysit your sorry ass and wait for us to come get you? How fair is it for me to waste money on gas, time and effort to come get you? Huh? Did you think about anybody but yourself and what you wanted What did you expect people to do? You need to get it in your head, Kid. The world doesnotrevolve around you.” My tone had become hard, and Maren covered my hand with hers.

“Nox,” she said gently and I looked at her. “Go easy.” She completed her request with a pleading look and fuck if I could deny her anything when she looked at me like that.

“Seems to me, Angel, that’s all we’ve been doing when it comes to his selfish ass… Goin’ easy on him doesn’t really seem to be working, maybe it’s time for a new tactic.” I said and I tried to say it gently, take the sting out of it, but the hurt look she gave me told me it hadn’t been enough. She turned to stare sightlessly out the dark passenger window and I glanced in the rearview mirror.

Sage was leaned back in his seat, head tipped back and to the side, similarly staring out his window, the gears turning behind his eyes. He was thinking hard, and he needed to. I glanced at Maren and she turned, feeling my eyes on her. I tipped my head slightly and raised my eyebrows, a silent ask for permission. She pursed her lips and nodded slightly, giving me the green light.

“You’re grounded, alright,” I agreed. “No games. Either I or Maren, will pick you up from school. You’ll either come to work with me or with her, where you will sitquietlyand do your homework until one or the other of us can take you home and stay there to make sure you’re where you’re supposed to be. No phone, no friends, no TV. Your life is limited to school and reading, that’s it.”

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